Ray Cooper III

Raynald "Ray" Cooper III[1] (born February 7, 1993) is a Hawaiian mixed martial artist currently competing in the Welterweight division of the Professional Fighters League. A professional competitor since 2012, he has also competed for King of the Cage.

Ray Cooper III
BornRaynald Cooper III
(1993-02-07) February 7, 1993
Pearl City, Hawaii, United States
Other namesBradda Boy
NationalityHawaiian
Height5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Weight170 lb (77 kg; 12 st)
DivisionWelterweight
Lightweight
Reach70.0 in (178 cm)
StanceOrthodox
Fighting out ofWaianae, Hawaii, United States
Team808 Fight Team
Lion of Judah
Years active2012–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total28
Wins20
By knockout14
By submission6
Losses7
By knockout2
By submission4
By decision1
Draws1
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Background

Born and raised in Hawaii, Cooper began wrestling at the age of six and trained under the tutelage of his father, Ray Cooper Jr, a professional fighter. In Hawaii, Cooper was a three-time state champion wrestler, winning his last championship at 173 lbs. Upon graduating at the age of 18, he began his career in professional MMA, turning down a college scholarship to continue wrestling.[2]

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Cooper began competing as an amateur in 2011, compiling a record of 3-0 before turning professional in 2012. He then compiled a record of 13-5 before being signed by the Professional Fighters League.

Professional Fighters League

On July 5, 2018, Cooper made is PFL debut at PFL 3 defeating former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Jake Shields via technical knockout in the second round.[3]

On August 16, 2018, Cooper defeated Pavel Kusch at PFL 6 in 18 seconds of the first round advancing to the playoffs.[4]

On October 20, 2018, Cooper faced Jake Shields in a rematch at PFL 10.[5] He won the fight via technical knockout in the first round to advance to the semifinals of the playoffs. In the semifinals, Cooper defeated Handesson Ferreira in a rematch via technical knockout to advance to the Welterweight finals.[6]

Cooper faced Magomed Magomedkerimov in the finals at PFL 11 on December 31, 2018. Cooper lost the fight via a guillotine choke submission in the second round. Curtis said of the fight, “I left my neck out too much. I thought I was winning that fight, you know, I was pressing the action. I just left my neck out. He has some slick guillotines, he has some long arms."[7]

Cooper re-entered the welterweight tournament in 2019. He faced Sadibou Sy in the quarterfinals at PFL 7 on October 11, 2019. The fight ended in a draw with Cooper advancing. In the semifinals at the same event, he faced Chris Curtis and won by knockout in the second round. Cooper faced David Michaud in the finals at PFL 10 on December 31, 2019. He won the fight via TKO in the second round to win the 2019 PFL Welterweight Tournament.[8]

Personal life

Cooper has four younger brothers; Bronson, Blake, Baylen and Makoa. All won wrestling state titles as well, with Blake, now a mixed martial artist, winning three. Both Blake and Baylen wrestled for Warner Pacific University where they were NAIA national champions and All-Americans. He also has a younger sister named Makana who is currently competing in the Hawaii High School Girls Wrestling division.[9] Even Cooper's wife is a former high school state wrestling champion.

Cooper and his wife have five children.[10]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts record
Professional record breakdown
28 matches 20 wins 7 losses
By knockout 14 2
By submission 6 4
By decision 0 1
Draws 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Win 20–7–1 David Michaud TKO (punches) PFL 10 December 31, 2019 2 2:56 New York City, New York, United States Won the 2019 PFL Welterweight Tournament..
Win 19–7–1 Chris Curtis KO (punch) PFL 7 October 11, 2019 2 0:11 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States 2019 PFL Welterweight Semifinal bout.
Draw 18–7–1 Sadibou Sy Draw (unanimous) 2 5:00 2019 PFL Welterweight Quarterfinal bout.
Loss 18–7 John Howard KO (punches) PFL 4 July 11, 2019 1 3:23 Atlantic City, New Jersey
Win 18–6 Zane Kamaka Submission (rear-naked choke) PFL 1 May 9, 2019 2 4:29 Uniondale, New York 2019 PFL Welterweight Quarterfinal bout.
Loss 17–6 Magomed Magomedkerimov Submission (guillotine choke) PFL 11 December 31, 2018 2 2:18 New York City, New York, United States For the 2018 PFL Welterweight Championship.
Win 17–5 Handesson Ferreira TKO (punches) PFL 10 October 20, 2018 1 2:28 Washington, D.C., United States 2018 PFL Welterweight Semifinal bout.
Win 16–5 Jake Shields TKO (punches) 1 3:10 2018 PFL Welterweight Quarterfinal bout.
Win 15–5 Pavel Kusch TKO (punches) PFL 6 August 16, 2018 1 0:18 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
Win 14–5 Jake Shields TKO (punches) PFL 3 July 5, 2018 2 2:09 Washington, D.C., United States
Loss 13–5 Handesson Ferreira Decision (unanimous) Mid-Pacific Championships 5 November 18, 2017 3 5:00 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Win 13–4 Charles Bennett TKO (punches) X-1 48: Braddah vs. Felony August 12, 2017 2 2:48 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Win 12–4 Jonathan Pico Submission (rear naked choke) X-1 46: Armed and Dangerous April 29, 2017 1 3:16 Kahului, Hawaii, United States
Loss 11–4 Jun Yong Park Submission (anaconda choke) Pacific Xtreme Combat 56 March 25, 2017 1 N/A Guam
Win 11–3 Matthew Colquhoun KO (punch) X-1 45: Live January 28, 2017 1 0:04 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Win 10–3 Zach Conn KO (punches) X-1 44: The Return September 24, 2016 1 0:12 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States Welterweight debut.
Win 9–3 Gabe Rivas KO (punches) Star Elite Cage Fighting April 29, 2016 1 1:41 Waipahu, Hawaii, United States
Win 8–3 Josh Drake Submission (front choke) Gladiator Challenge: Season's Beatings November 28, 2015 1 1:06 Rancho Mirage, California, United States Won the vacant Gladiator Challenge Lightweight Championship.
Win 7–3 Adrian Bartree KO (punch) Gladiator Challenge: Showdown August 15, 2015 1 0:34 Rancho Mirage, California, United States
Win 6–3 David Douglas TKO (punches) Star Elite Cage Fighting August 7, 2015 1 0:27 Waipahu, Hawaii, United States
Win 5–3 Dave Mazany Submission (rear naked choke) Star Elite Cage Fighting March 20, 2015 2 1:24 Waipahu, Hawaii, United States
Win 4–3 Jody Carter TKO (punches) Gladiator Challenge: Season's Beatings November 22, 2014 1 1:58 Rancho Mirage, California, United States
Loss 3–3 Craig Jackson TKO (strikes) War On The Valley Isle 3 November 8, 2014 1 2:25 Kahului, Hawaii, United States
Loss 3–2 Danny Navarro Submission (guillotine choke) Gladiator Challenge: Payback August 30, 2014 1 1:34 San Jacinto, California, United States
Win 3–1 Nate Harris Submission (guillotine choke) Destiny MMA: Na Koa 5 May 3, 2014 1 2:52 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Loss 2–1 Joey Gomez Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) Destiny MMA: Na Koa 3 April 6, 2013 1 2:21 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Win 2–0 Adam Smith Submission (rear-naked choke) Destiny MMA: Na Koa 2 January 19, 2013 1 4:41 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Win 1–0 Kani Correa KO (punch) KOTC Ali'is July 14, 2012 1 0:08 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States

See also

References
  1. "Ray Cooper III fighter profile".
  2. Sherdog.com. "Ray Cooper III: Family Ties and Unimaginable Highs". Sherdog.
  3. "PFL 3 results: Ray Cooper III rolls over Jake Shields in main event".
  4. https://fight-library.com/2019/05/30/ray-cooper-iii-interview-pfl-magomedkerimov-rematch-standin-and-bangin/
  5. "PFL 10 preview: Cooper III vs. Shields rematch among playoff fights in Washington DC".
  6. "Ray Cooper III Blows Away Jake-Shields, Handesson Ferreira in PFL Welterweight Playoffs".
  7. https://fight-library.com/2019/05/30/ray-cooper-iii-interview-pfl-magomedkerimov-rematch-standin-and-bangin/
  8. "Fight Card - 2019 PFL 10". PFL.
  9. "Cooper Bros. Bring Home Titles from CCC Championships". Warner Pacific University Athletics.
  10. Mick Hammond (May 29, 2020). "Ray Cooper III staying ready to fight in PFL again, looks back at his wins over Jake Shields". mmaweekly.com.
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